Generating Buy-In: Mastering the Language of Leadership

Buy-in can be defined as the understanding, commitment, and action of people working to achieve strategic objectives. In 21st-century business, buy-in has become a crucial asset, and the ability to generate it has emerged as the leadership competency. The achievement of buy-in depends heavily on the communication skills of the seller, the executive, or whoever is asking us to believe, to act, to buy.

Generating Buy-In presents a language of leadership common to the most masterful influencers in business, politics, law, and other arenas. The author describes how to use this language to build strategic stories that project a positive future, even when the immediate news may be less than ideal.

Generating Buy-In offers examples of individuals and organizations that have used this method, including Jack Welch, Ted Turner, several U.S. Presidents, Coca-Cola, and the U.S. Army. These and other examples, plus exclusive interviews, illustrate how powerful leadership communication can bring unprecedented buy-in throughout any organization.

The book features valuable tools, including sample business scenarios, a full chapter of Q & A, and a design process for creating custom buy-in exercises and transferring the lessons of the book to actual workplace settings.

Mark S. Walton is CEO of the Center for Leadership Communication, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For more than a decade he was CNN’s Chief White House and Senior Correspondent, becoming one of the most visible and respected journalists in network news. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the prestigious Peabody Award. Walton also teaches at the University of North Carolina’s business school and is Professor of Leadership in the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Management program.